Jefferson County Commissioner David Carrington says that he will pass up an opportunity to run for a third term, opting instead to consider a run for governor in 2018.

During an interview on Tuesday with radio hosts Matt Murphy and Andrea Lindenberg, Carrington said that a run for the state’s highest office had been on his mind “for a while”

“I think that the majority of the citizens think that Montgomery is a mess,” he said. “Jefferson County surely was a mess when I was sworn into office six years ago. And now hardly a day goes by that someone doesn’t tell me that things are much better in Jefferson County than they were on my first day in office.”

Carrington says that as the president of the Jefferson County Commission, he oversaw the “second largest government in the state.” For that, he believes that his candidacy could make him stand out.

“I’m the only one who can say that they actually cleaned up a mess,” he said.

He went on to say that he believes the state has suffered from a lack of leadership.

“I honestly don’t believe that a Washington or Montgomery insider, who either created the mess in Montgomery or stood idly by while the mess was being created, can do what needs to be done in Montgomery to right the ship.”

Carrington was first elected to his countywide office in 2010, and served as the president of the council for four years. According to him, he chose not to remain as the president of the county commission so he could focus on economic development in the Birmingham area.

If he decides to run for higher office, he could face a crowded GOP field. Other potential candidates could include ousted Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, Congresswoman Martha Roby, State Senate Pro Tem Del Marsh, and others.